Why Building Surveyors Must Lead the Charge on Climate Resilience
Introduction
The UK’s real estate sector is increasingly exposed to the impacts of climate change. From flash flooding in urban centres to heatwaves affecting building performance. As frontline professionals, building surveyors are uniquely positioned to identify vulnerabilities and recommend resilience strategies. But are we doing enough?
Understanding the Risk Landscape
According to GRESB’s article “Your Asset Faces Climate Risks – Now What?”, climate risks fall into two categories:
Acute risks (e.g. storms, floods, heatwaves)
Chronic risks (e.g. sea level rise, long-term temperature increases)
These risks can affect asset value, insurance premiums, and tenant safety. Surveyors must understand how these risks manifest at the asset level.
The Role of the Building Surveyor
Surveyors are already trained to assess structural integrity, M&E systems, and compliance. But climate resilience requires a new lens:
Flood risk mapping: Go beyond Environment Agency maps — consider surface water and drainage capacity.
Overheating assessments: Especially in retrofitted or poorly ventilated buildings.
Material resilience: Are façades and roofs designed for future weather extremes?
From Insight to Action
GRESB recommends a three-step approach:
Understand the risks using data and modelling.
Assess the exposure and vulnerability of each asset.
Act by integrating resilience into asset management and capex planning.
Conclusion
Surveyors must evolve from compliance checkers to climate risk advisors. By embedding resilience into every inspection, we can protect asset value and occupant wellbeing.
Reference:
GRESB. (n.d.). Your Asset Faces Climate Risks – Now What? Retrieved from https://www.gresb.com/nl-en/your-asset-faces-climate-risks-now-what/
